Bargains bring home the bacon but bite into profits December 9, 2012 AS DECENT numbers for Nando’s reveal the chain moved into profit last year after three in the red, the cheaper end of the restaurant sector may be turning a corner. The latest figures from BDO indicate that operators including the Restaurant Group and JD Wetherspoon have seen an upturn in trade in September and October. [...]
Tesco horse meat mustn’t shake our faith in cheap food January 17, 2013 TAINTED food scandals are as old as the hills. In 1858, more than 200 were poisoned when a Bradford confectioner, known as Humbug Billy, accidentally mixed arsenic into his peppermint lozenges. More recently, mad cow disease led to the slaughter of 4.4m cattle. Poor quality has also never respected rank. Back in 1135, King Henry [...]
The greatest show on earth January 16, 2013 The biggest, loudest, wackiest technology showcase in the world, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), came to a close in Las Vegas this week, leaving geeks drooling over the gadgets we can expect to see over the next 12 months. The six-day event saw an estimated 20,000 new products from the over-3,000 exhibitors. This year’s event [...]
The trusted brand with personality at its core February 3, 2013 YOU may have seen Clippy McKenna’s eponymous preserves on your supermarket shelves. Her two-man show (it is just Clippy and fiancé Paul Gorman working at the business; everything else, including the actual jam-making, is contracted out) now stocks its products in some of the biggests stores – including Tesco and Harvey Nichols. After graduating as [...]
Capital classifications will give gold a boost December 17, 2012 US BANKS are staging an eleventh hour appeal to have the implementation of Basel III delayed from its 1 January 2013 deadline, arguing that they would need to bolster their balance sheets with an additional $800bn (£493bn) in core capital assets under the new framework. But while there may be some protests, and the date [...]
Black Swan author challenges the belief that pressure is bad for the economy December 6, 2012 BANKS should be more like cats than washing machines. So suggests Nassim Taleb, ex-trader and controversial author of The Black Swan, who has a new book out in time for Christmas. What he means is that living things – cats, economists, bankers – display a property that even our best-designed machinery lacks: a quality that [...]
Entertainment pros who thought outside the box January 20, 2013 WHEN Michael Comish and Adrian Letts first met, they prefaced everything they said with “just so you know I’m not stealing your idea, here’s what I think”. They needn’t have worried. What emerged was a concept that seems so obvious now it may leave you pondering that frustrating question: “Why didn’t I think of that?” [...]
Forget the Great British Bake Off, we put a selection of mince pies to the test December 11, 2012 WE MAY have just under two weeks to go before Christmas but mince pie season is already well and truly upon us. As far as quality goes, they can be pretty hit and miss. Done well, the pastry is crumbly and the filling substantial and sweet but done badly, it’s enough to throw you off [...]
Investing is a lot easier with the right platform February 5, 2013 IT IS important for investors to pick solid investments that perform well over time. Equally important, however, is how you choose to buy, manage and monitor them. Many online platforms have sprung up that can help you with the process. They allow you to buy and hold different assets – like shares, bonds and funds [...]
There’s more to Nassau than relaxation and sun January 1, 2013 IN NASSAU, a red 1970 Gold Leaf Lotus Élan, zooms up the hill. A chequered flag waves and a yellow 1957 Ferrari 500 can be spotted up ahead, with a blue Aston Martin DB5 shimmering in the tropical sun in the distance. Someone who looks like Sean Connery is shaking hands with spectators. It could [...]